X-Men: First Class Lands a Writer

Just yesterday news broke that X-Men and X2: X-Men United director Bryan Singer would be returning to the Marvel franchise with First Class. Now we’re hearing more details on his development deal including the writer who’s been hired to pen the script.

It’s been confirmed by various sources that Singer will return to his (for lack of a better word) mutant roots with the Fox property that he left in 2006. The director was originally set to helm the third film in the X-Men franchise, The Last Stand but dropped out when the studio wanted to fast track the project. At the time he was working on his Superman revival Superman Returns over at Warner Bros, and had a scheduling conflict. After a few years away from the property, Singer has been lured back to put his spin on the prequel, First Class.

According to THR, a writer has been hired to develop the script for the film and it’s none other than Jamie Moss. If his name doesn’t sound familiar it’s probably because he only has one feature credit on his resume, and it’s for last year’s Street Kings. That movie wasn’t the greatest in the world, so his involvement doesn’t generate excitement on my part. The new film is supposed to center on the meeting of Professor Xavier and Magneto and their creation of the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, the school masquerading as the headquarters of the X-Men.

The die hard fans of the X-Men franchise have been burned by Fox’s movie adaptations more than once so it’s hard to trust their judgment. Even though Singer’s versions were the best of the bunch, he made a few creative changes with the story that weren’t well liked. He manipulated ages, cultures, relationships, and pretty much rewrote the comic’s history. My interest in First Class is slowly declining, and the hiring of this novice writer isn’t helping.